Preventing the Flu and Enhancing the Immune System with MassageWith all of the focus lately on the spread of the swine flu and getting so much inaccurate information, I thought I would do some research on preventing the flu rather than focusing on the proposed spread of the flu. My first real information came from one of my favorite websites -www.mercola.com. His article "The Swine Flu Epidemic: Fact or Fiction" saw another side to the story. First of all Pandemic just means that there is a new strain of the flu going around which means that no one has immunity to it. Many often equate the word Pandemic with the past pandemics in the earlier scares. The Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918 killed about 20 million people worldwide. In 1976 there was another scare here in the US which resulted in mandatory vaccinations for Fort Dix soldiers. The results were reported in Time Magazine, which basically told how many people died of the side effects of the vaccine. Dr. Mercola says that the current strain, A(H1N1), is a new variation of an H1N1 virus -- which causes seasonal flu outbreaks in humans -- that also contains genetic material of bird and pig versions of the flu which is really interesting. Symptoms include:
* Fever of more than 100 * Coughing * Runny nose and/or sore throat * Joint aches * Severe headache * Vomiting and/or diarrhea * Lethargy * Lack of appetite He further goes on to say that When Tamiflu is used as directed (twice daily for 5 days) it can ONLY reduce the duration of your influenza symptoms by 1 to 1 ½ days, according to the official data. The side effects of Tamiflu are the exact same symptoms as the flu in addition to "People with the flu, particularly children and adolescents, may be at an increased risk of self injury and confusion shortly after taking TAMIFLU and should be closely monitored for signs of unusual behavior." as they say on their website. The local news here reported that normally about 35000 people die each year from the flu so I am not sure why this is any different that it requires spending so much money for Tamiflu and other drugs. The best thing is preventing the flu which is a combination of many different things. Your immune system is the basis for fighting viruses. Stress can reduce the effectiveness of your immune system as well as eating an unhealthy diet (sugar, caffeine, high carbs, high fat diets). Massage can help to enhance the functioning of the immune system by reducing stress and maintaining the flow of lymphatic circulation throughout the body. Massage has been shown to be helpful in the treatment of HIV and Breast cancer as well as reduce stress. A local Naturopath Dr Darvish recommends the following to enhance the immune system: 1) Wash your hands frequently 2) Avoid crowded, busy places if possible 3) Get enough sleep at a regular time every night 4) Drink lots of clean water to continually flush toxins out 5) Avoid the foods to which you are allergic and sensitive 6) Avoid sugar, alcohol, artificial sweeteners, and processed carbs 7) Keep your vitamin D levels up - the average person needs 3000iu of Vitamin D3 per day (so get your vitamin D 25OH levels checked by your doctor. The levels should be 80-100) 8) Take a certified mercury-free fish oil and omega 3 regularly 9) Eat raw garlic and onions daily 10) Try homeopathic medicines for prevention (such as homeopathic Mucococcinum). If you do come down with initial symptoms of the flu, try homeopathic Gelsemium or Bryonia or Aconite. 11) Take mushroom extracts (such as Mycoimmune tinctures) daily to keep your immune system up. 12) Get your daily dose of electrolytes (Make sure it is free of sugar and food coloring) 13) If possible, avoid hospitals. 14) Vaccines may not be a great idea But be sure to check with your own Naturopath for alternatives to vaccines and preventing the flu. The research studies are as follows from the Touch Research Institute: Breast CancerMassage therapy reduced anxiety and depression and improved immune function including increased natural killer cell number in women with breast cancer.Hernandez-Reif, M., Ironsor, G., Field, T., Hurley, J., Katz, G., Diego, M., Weiss, S., Fletcher, MA., Shanberg, S and Kuhn, C. (2003) Breast cancer patients have improve immune and neuroendocrine function following massage therapy.Journal of Psychosomatic Reseach, 57,45-52.____________Women diagnosed with breast cancer received massage therapy or practiced progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) or received standard treatment. Dopamine levels, Natural Killer cells, and lymphocytes increased from the first to the last day of the study for the massage therapy group.Hernandez-Reif, M., Field, T., Ironson, G., Beutler, J., Vera, Y., Hurley, J., Fletcher, M., Schanberg, S., Kuhn, S., & Fraser, M. (2005). Natural killer cells and lymphocytes are increased in women with breast cancer following massage therapy. International Journal of Neuroscience,115, 495-510. |
